In medias res
by theauthorkaty
Summary: "Carisi...are you flirting with me?" Carisi has been shadowing Barba and he is learning valuable lessons, in and out of the courtroom.


"Carisi," Rafael said quietly, furrowing his brow. "Are you…flirting with me?" His eyes narrowed.

Sonny's wide smile faded slowly and he looked down at the table. He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment and worried that he might be in trouble. Or, for a moment, that he might even get hurt. Straight guys don't take well to being hit on, he had learned a long time ago.

But he was sure that Barba had been flirting with him all night… _right?_ Now he wasn't sure. He replayed the details of the evening in his head.

 _Have you had dinner yet?_

 _I know a good place around the corner._

 _Let me get the next round._

 _Body shots, Carisi? Really?_

Barba had _looked_ at him. He was sure that when their knees bumped under the table, it was on purpose. Barba smiled. Several times during dinner. He never smiled, except maybe in court, after eviscerating a witness. But Sonny was not a witness, and this wasn't court.

A late night working together at the office going over the case turned into dinner, which turned into drinks. Now they'd been at the bar for far too long; it was well after midnight. Sonny hadn't been out this late in over a year. Between school and work, he felt like he had no personal life at all. But he was not about to turn down the offer to spend time out of the office, alone, with the ADA.

"I…uhm…." he stumbled, running his long fingers through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck, as he turned his head to look away. To look anywhere but in Barba's eyes. "I'm sorry, I just…I mean…" he glanced briefly back at Barba, who was staring at him intensely. The stare made Sonny feel like he was about to be cross-examined and taken down in open court, by the Great and Powerful Rafael Barba.

"No," Barba said firmly, his voice breathy, "don't apologize." He looked directly at Sonny, who was still looking down at the table, his cheeks a bright red. "I didn't want to be wrong." He paused. "I didn't know you felt the same way as me," he said quietly.

Sonny looked up and met Barba's gaze. His mouth fell open slightly but for once, he was speechless. He slowly grinned. Not his usual Carisi huge smile, but a small grin, and ran his fingertips across his lips absentmindedly as he watched Barba.

Barba caught his breath and found himself staring at Carisi's lips for entirely too long. Neither of them spoke for a minute. "We're on the same page, then. Let's get out of here. Come on." Barba lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed the rest of his whiskey, wincing at the burn in his throat. He placed the glass on the table deliberately and reached into his wallet to retrieve a $50 bill, which he dropped onto the table as he practically ran out the door with Carisi trailing behind.

Once outside, Barba headed confidently to the curb and hailed a cab. It took only a few seconds before they had a ride. Barba opened the door and held it open for Sonny to step in. As he stepped in front of him, Sonny smiled and _winked_. Barba's eyes darkened, and he bit his lower lip. He felt his stomach flip. He slid into the backseat next to Carisi, and gave the driver his address. It was a mercifully short ride, as both men were simultaneously quietly panicking and thrilled at the same time.

They climbed the steps up the brownstone and rode the elevator in awkward silence, the air charged between them. Barba opened the door to his apartment and Sonny stepped inside hesitantly. It was dark, except for street lights streaming in through sheer curtains in the window. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Barba shut the door behind him. Suddenly Sonny was being spun around and Barba was kissing him. Hard. He could barely process what was happening, and his brain was spinning. He felt Barba's hands in his hair, on his chest, moving down his sides. Everywhere at once.

"Whoa counselor," he said breathlessly. Barba had noticed months ago that Sonny's accent got stronger the more emotional he was about something, so he took it as a compliment that right now, the Staten Island accent was strong. He could bring in any witness right now and they'd be able to identify Sonny Carisi easily in a voice lineup, and he would win the case.

Barba smiled and moved his hands slowly down Sonny's arms, his breath hitching when he felt distinct bicep muscles under his shirt. He reached his hands and grasped each in his own. Barba began kissing him again, this time softer, teasing Sonny as he moved his hands above his head. He pushed his arms into the wall as his kiss deepened, pinning Sonny with his whole body. Suddenly he pulled back, and Sonny practically whined.

Barba held onto his wrists tightly and breathed against Sonny's lips. "Is this ok?," he asked.

Sonny quickly nodded his head. "Yeah," he panted, "fuck yeah."

The corners of Barba's mouth turned into a smirk, and he relished the effect he was having on Sonny. " _Por favor, querido…_ _tú puede llamarme Rafael_." Sonny could even respond, Barba began kissing him again, harder and deeper, with a hunger that had been building for months.

He didn't like Carisi when he first joined SVU. He was far too eager, too much of a know-it-all. A blowhard, even. He was always trying to show off, and if there was anything that Barba couldn't stand, it's someone who doesn't know when to just shut up. But as they spent more time together, he started to see that Carisi had a real heart, and, he admitted begrudgingly, strong detective skills. Even a sharp legal mind. He realized that he wasn't trying to show off, he was genuinely trying to help. But Barba couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to the little gestures between them. Every time Carisi looked at him eagerly, seeking his approval...was he looking for the ADA's approval, or was he looking for _Rafael's_ approval? Barba had put it out of his mind. He couldn't go after an NYPD detective, adorable as he might be. It would be a huge conflict of interest and could jeopardize every case going forward. Not to mention the drama of dating at work. Rafael couldn't have it. But Carisi didn't make it easy. He was always _gesturing_ with those long fingers, his sleeves rolled up, in pants that Rafael swore were a gift from god himself. It was all he could do to not stare at his ass whenever he bounced across the room, trying to pal around with Amaro or Fin, or kiss Olivia's ass. His strategy was to turn on the sarcasm, and hope that no one would notice that he had a crush, a _crush,_ on his colleague, like he was a goddamn 12-year-old.

Carisi ground his hips forward, and kissed back with a ferocity that Barba did not expect. Barba loosened his grip on Sonny's wrists and moved his hands down his arms and into his hair. He'd wanted to run his hands through that hair the minute he first saw him. It was always so perfectly styled, so coiffed, always pushed off his forehead and neck. And there was _so much_ of it. He would occasionally let his mind wander about what it would look like in the morning, mussed, loose, and hanging over his forehead. He moved his fingers through his hair from front to back, undoing the grip that his extra-strength gel seemed to have. Every part of Sonny would be _his,_ even his precious hair. He gripped the back of his head and pulled gently at the hair there, causing Carisi to groan into his mouth. He moved his mouth along Carisi's jawline, kissing down his neck and alternating with bites at his skin. He wanted Sonny to _feel_ him, wanted him to _see_ reminders of this when he looked in the mirror tomorrow.

Sonny's mouth hung open and his head lolled back against the door. He could feel his mouth getting dry and his cock was uncomfortably hard in his dress pants. Barba continued kissing a line down to Sonny's collar and deftly loosened his tie and started slowly undoing the buttons. He teased him as he went along, bare skin immediately met with his lips and tongue. Sonny moaned, the sound coming from deep within his throat. He gasped loudly as Barba took a nipple into his mouth and gently rolled it around his tongue. The noises Sonny was making were damn near obscene, but Barba never wanted it to stop. He relished the control he had. He loved that he was the one making Carisi moan, gasp, and pant. He would do anything to hear those noises. But he also loved to tease him.

He reached up and placed two fingers on Sonny's swollen pink lips. _Dios mio,_ he thought, _who has lips like that?_ "Shush…you'll wake my neighbors." Barba kissed him gently on the lips and pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He reached down to Sonny's belt and began unbuckling it, slowly and deliberately.

He looked directly at Carisi, and met his eyes, searching them out for a reaction. Sonny's pupils were dilated, his eyes almost completely black. "Is this what you want?" he breathed, his hands resting on Carisi's hips, belt unbuckled and the buttons on his pants undone. Sonny looked deep into Barba's eyes, and it suddenly hit him. This was going to happen, and he could stop it or he could give in. He'd wanted this for what felt like forever.

Sometimes Sonny felt like he was throwing himself Barba. He could dish out the most sarcastic comment and he always came back for more. He desperately wanted his approval, his attention, even just a smile, anything. In his daydreams (because he was sure nothing would or could ever happen between them) he was sure that given the chance, he'd fall to his knees in front of Barba. Maybe in his office. Certainly he never imagined it the other way around, and certainly not in Barba's home. He respected Barba professionally, of course, but he also was undeniably turned on by the _power_ he exuded. His confidence, even arrogance. Carisi would do anything Barba told him to.

Sonny took a deep breath and nodded his head quickly, before he could think any more.

"I need to hear you say it."

"Yes," Carisi hissed. He whispered, " _Por favor_ , Rafael. Please."

Barba's mouth went dry at the first "please," and he was dropping to his knees by the second. He was done teasing. He pulled Sonny's zipper down and yanked his pants and boxer briefs off together. Sonny was hard and leaking precum. Barba reached for him and stroked softly, in awe that this was really happening. He looked up at Sonny as he leaned forward and licked the head of his cock, moving his tongue gently over the wet slit. Their eyes met and Barba suddenly felt warmth in his chest, as he realized how much he _wanted_ this. How much he wanted to make Sonny feel good, to make him lose control, to hear the sounds he was drawing from his throat. He was getting hard listening to him, but right now the entire world was Carisi's cock. He closed his eyes slowly, deliberately, making sure Carisi was watching, and took him into his mouth. Carisi let a deep breathy moan and reached down to touch Barba's head hesitantly. Barba hummed his approval and let his cock slide further down his throat, his lips wrapped tightly around him. Sonny tightened his grip on the back of Barba's head, grabbing at his hair. Barba could feel him thrusting slowly into his mouth, and could tell he was holding back. He let Carisi take the lead as his cock hit the back of his throat and moved his hands to the back of Carisi's thighs, feeling them tremble.

At the touch, Carisi dared to glance down and was amazed at the sight. The ADA was on his knees, giving him the best blowjob of his life, taking it all and sucking him off like a whore. He couldn't hold back, and began to thrust into Barba's mouth, letting out a deep groan. Barba's eyes began to water and he could feel saliva coming out of his mouth. He found himself amused at the fact that Sonny never stopped talking on the job, but now he was reduced to grunts, moans, and the occasional curse word. He loved it.

"Fuck…Rafael…fuck," Carisi moaned, his head resting against the door, his eyes closed tightly. Barba smiled and continued bobbing his head up and down, his tongue working around his length. He could feel him throb in his mouth and Barba let out a soft moan.

"Jesus," Carisi breathed, "I…ungh…I'm going…" And with a sharp cry, he was gone, sent over the edge and coming in Barba's mouth. Barba's fingers dug into Sonny's thighs, and he felt the warmth in his mouth, relishing every second. He felt like he was in a daze and wanted it to last, wanted to draw it out as long as he could. His eyes shut tightly, he continued sucking until he heard Sonny gasp and yank his head back. He gasped for air and looked up at Carisi, both of them out of breath. Barba licked his lips and reached up absentmindedly to smooth his hair.

Carisi leaned down and felt his knees hit the floor. He kissed Barba eagerly, deeply, and could taste himself. His hands moved to the back of his neck and their tongues slid against each other, over and over. Carisi finally broke the kiss and leaned back against the door, letting out a contented sigh. Barba scooted forward and turned so that his back was against the door and sat down next to Sonny. They both stared into the apartment and neither spoke for a minute, allowing their breath to slow.

"That…uh…that was somethin' else," Carisi finally said, turning his head towards Barba.

Barba chuckled, noticing with admiration that the accent was back. He glanced sideways at Sonny and smirked, "did you expect anything less from me, detective? I'm the best at what I do."

"Yeah," Carisi laughed, "you can say that again. I guess you have a lot to teach me."

Barba's eyes narrowed and he stood up, reaching down to pull Carisi to his feet. "Well let's get started, then."


End file.
